Whosoever of you are justified by the law; Christ is useless to you. You are fallen from grace.-- Galations 5:4

I want to tell you that I have studied the Bible my whole life. I really believed in the Creator and wanted to please him. I spent much of my time on Bible study and preaching. I knew that Christ died for my sins and that without his sacrifice I had no hope. I was baptized in 1990 into Jehovah witness., accepting Christ’s ransom sacrifice and dedicating my life to follow him and serve the Father. Instead of being baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, I was asked: Do you understand that your baptism identifies you as a member of God’s spirit-directed organization? I tried and tried and struggled to be a Christian, and I believed that I was one. I was told that my denomination was the only one with the truth and staying in this organization meant salvation, leaving was unforgivable. For 20 years I was struggling to exercise faith and prove myself worthy to survive Armageddon by being faithful to what this organization told me to believe and do. I really thought that everything they teach is based on the Bible, but all of that time I wasn’t really a Christian. So 20 years after getting baptized I accepted Christ as my only mediator and God revealed His grace to me.

This change came about after a gradual awakening. This is my testimony.

Whosoever of you are justified by the law; Christ is useless to you. You are fallen from grace.-- Galations 5:4

I want to tell you that I have studied the Bible my whole life. I really believed in the Creator and wanted to please him. I spent much of my time on Bible study and preaching. I knew that Christ died for my sins and that without his sacrifice I had no hope. I was baptized in 1990 into Jehovah witness., accepting ChristÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s ransom sacrifice and dedicating my life to follow him and serve the Father. Instead of being baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, I was asked: Do you understand that your baptism identifies you as a member of GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s spirit-directed organization? I tried and tried and struggled to be a Christian, and I believed that I was one. I was told that my denomination was the only one with the truth and staying in this organization meant salvation, leaving was unforgivable. For 20 years I was struggling to exercise faith and prove myself worthy to survive Armageddon by being faithful to what this organization told me to believe and do. I really thought that everything they teach is based on the Bible, but all of that time I wasnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t really a Christian. So 20 years after getting baptized I accepted Christ as my only mediator and God revealed His grace to me.

This change came about after a gradual awakening. This is my testimony.

Whosoever of you are justified by the law; Christ is useless to you. You are fallen from grace.-- Galations 5:4

I want to tell you that I have studied the Bible my whole life. I really believed in the Creator and wanted to please him. I spent much of my time on Bible study and preaching. I knew that Christ died for my sins and that without his sacrifice I had no hope. I was baptized in 1990 into Jehovah witness., accepting ChristÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s ransom sacrifice and dedicating my life to follow him and serve the Father. Instead of being baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, I was asked: Do you understand that your baptism identifies you as a member of GodÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s spirit-directed organization? I tried and tried and struggled to be a Christian, and I believed that I was one. I was told that my denomination was the only one with the truth and staying in this organization meant salvation, leaving was unforgivable. For 20 years I was struggling to exercise faith and prove myself worthy to survive Armageddon by being faithful to what this organization told me to believe and do. I really thought that everything they teach is based on the Bible, but all of that time I wasnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t really a Christian. So 20 years after getting baptized I accepted Christ as my only mediator and God revealed His grace to me.

This change came about after a gradual awakening. This is my testimony.

I'm happy that you feel more comfortable as a Christian than you did previously, but from your previous posts on this board I always felt that you were already a Christian, just perhaps one working through some doubts.

I'm happy that you feel more comfortable as a Christian than you did previously, but from your previous posts on this board I always felt that you were already a Christian, just perhaps one working through some doubts.

Well friend, God has been tugging on me for a while now, but I guess this would depend on your definition of Christian.

Part 2: Ever since Jehovah’s Witnesses published a book called Draw Close to Jehovah I started to read the Bible with the question in my mind, "what does this tell me about God's personality." And I realized that the whole obligation of man is to imitate our heavenly Father. I started seeing areas in which Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t do this, and I started using scripture more than Jehovah's Witness literature. The book also points out how Christ displayed all of these same attributes and showed them to us in His time here on earth. I started to teach my daughter about God by using these chapters and we talked about how Christ created everything.

I have written a diary so that you can see that though I can point to the exact moment that Christ gave His light to me, my conversion was a gradual awakening and a softening of the heart that took time and came from many different people and circumstances.

Feruary 2010: My mom sends me emails twice a week about how she fears for my life because I don't go to meetings often enough. It certainly has the opposite effect. I often feel so low and full of inadequacies... that nothing I ever do is good enough. I think that the majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses are burdening themselves and each other with heavy loads... We will never make it through the Great Tribulation if we miss one meeting, if we can't do much in the ministry due to arthritis or a fussy baby... etc. If you are not on your death bed you should be at the meeting... Can they be God's people if they are so discouraging? Does it benefit me spiritually to me in that very judgmental environment? Don’t they realize that by telling me that I won’t make it through the Great Tribulation they are telling me that God doesn’t love me? All Jehovah's Witnesses are afraid of the Great Tribulation. Even those that are active. They think that they have to be strong enough to get through it. Do they not see this? "Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."--1 Thessalonians 1:10 I do believe that Jehovah has a people, imperfect as they are, and he wants me to be a part of those people. It is a test of faith. Maybe it is the biggest one. Maybe it is the only one.

March 2010: While I was debating evolution and creation I said that Creation science was ridiculous and as a result home-schooling friend challenged me to read Creationist materials. I thought that I should educate myself on the “opposing side”, so I got what I could at my library. When I read it I began to see that it answered so many questions that I have always had. Of course, Jehovah’s Witnesses ridicule Creationists and they warned me in a threatening manner not to read it. They think that reading or using any Christian reading material is a part of Babylon the Great. According to them, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses publishes everything I ever need to read. But, doesn’t the Governing Body use things written by Christians when they do research? Plus, I wish I had this information before! I am beginning to believe that God uses these Christians too. I am making Christian friends and also defending Christians when they are attacked by atheist home-schoolers. I realize now that I used to join in with the atheists because Jehovah’s Witnesses strongly denounce all other religions and as a result had taught me to hate Christians.

July 2010: I met someone who was raised a Jehovah's Witness. She was never baptized, so there isn't a rule keeping me from talking to her. She is becoming a Christian after years of angry atheism. I am trying to witness to her because I really want her to become a Jehovah's Witness instead. We talk about the Trinity and she says that the ransom means so much more to her since accepting it, and she never felt close to God with the Witness teaching of Jesus as a separate created being. She is drawing close to God and no longer an atheist. Why would I weaken her faith by talking her out of a doctrine that has helped her see God's love? I am starting to think that the Trinity doctrine isn't as evil as Jehovah's Witnesses think.

i find it interesting that you say that. i recall alot of creationist materials in the old you can live forever too book.they do believe in the idea of the biblical flood being a whole earth judgment.

Yes, they do have some truth in their beliefs. They don't believe in a literal 6 day creation and they don't explain anything about how the fossil record was formed, or other details.

The Witnesses had me spiritually starved for so long that when I started reading Creationist stuff I became a fanatic! It was exciting! I didn't keep it to myself.

This is one of the messages that I saved:

Hey *****, the creationist thing has me baffled. You know that last year at the convention they clearly denounced creationists? Don't want to get in your business but, I'm just wondering.

Creationists are the people who (usually) believe in literal 24 hour creation days and a "young earth" model of creation where the entire universe, or alternately, the earth are only a few thousand years old. Generally it is safe to say that we believe in "creation" but "creationism". It's a school of belief generally associated with Christendom, a part of Babylon the Great.

At the convention they made a very clear distinction between the 3 schools. 1)Crationists 2) Evolution and 3) Biblical Creation. They were quite clear in separating us from those that would claim to be teaching the Bible but make the Bible look foolish by promoting unscientific ideas not contained in the Bible.

We also talk about the meaning of being born again. She said that everyone must be born again (John 3:3-5), so therefore everyone must partake of the bread and wine at the Lord’s Evening Meal. I have a Watchtower about being born again. I read it over and over and I told her that I accept their explanation that only 144,000 are born again, part of the new covenant and partake of the emblems.

October 2010: I have attended a couple of meetings. I find that I need to do quality control at home, because there are many within the congregation that seem to influence us to be judgmental. My main problem is that I start to judge myself too harshly and slip into depression, drawing away from God, being afraid to pray. I can also see the influence causing unloving actions towards others. My brother is an elder in a nearby congregation. He was so harsh and judgemental with my mother (who has had serious health problems) that my parents changed congregations. I mainly know that I want my kids raised in the truth. I also do see that JWs have to be God's people. The literature is the main thing that convinces me. We have so much available. The new releases have been just what I wanted. The magazines have seemed to improve, and one of the books, Draw Close to Jehovah, has caused me to come to know God. Plus, no one else teaches about God’s name, or about a paradise earth, so where else would I go? I also believe that the problems I have seen are just in the congregations that I have attended. It seems other congregations and Bethel have more love and less hypocrisy. If God has a people then surely he wants me to support them. I remember a talk at one of the meetings. The congregations in the Bible had problems too. I will just need to strengthen myself and my family to withstand the destructive influence of the congregation. I will be sure to comment, always pointing to God’s personality, maybe I can help to readjust the congregations thinking.

March 2011: I attended the Lord’s Evening Meal. That was difficult. I tried so hard to feel the Holy Spirit there, to be inspired. Nothing. It was the same things we are always told: If we appreciate Christ’s sacrifice we will dedicate our lives to Jehovah’s Witnesses. When they passed the bread and the wine I had an overwhelming urge to partake of them. That would cause a big fuss. I am supposed to be in a separate group, not part of the 144,000 that go to heaven to be with Christ.

April 2011. My mom is very upset with me for having friends who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses and allowing my daughter to have them. She says I should listen to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses on these matters, or I will fall away to Satan and God will destroy me in Armageddon. That is all I ever hear. Even those fully involved in the JW congregation are always scared of Armageddon. Why don’t they trust God’s love? Why don’t they trust His perfect justice?

It is just too hard to have Jehovah’s Witness friends. They are always judging and nitpicking everything we do. They judge us as bad association because we don’t go out in the ministry enough. So if we try to stick to only JW friends, we end up with none. We have to have friends from somewhere. My daughter is so much happier since having friends to play with.

What’s further, I see nothing wrong with celebrating birthdays. I even found a Watchtower article on traditions and customs and the reasoning in that article makes it appear that there is nothing wrong with birthdays. Why should I listen to men about this, when they openly admit that they are not inspired by God like the Bible writers? I know that they don’t claim inspiration. If they did, then they could be called false prophets. As it is, they say they are imperfect and never claimed otherwise, so they aren’t.

June 2011: I have been taught that the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses were chosen by Jesus to be the “faithful and discreet slave”. Therefore to follow Jesus we need to follow them. I read an article in which this “faithful and discreet slave” is compared to Moses! That doesn’t seem right. I thought Moses was the mediator. Isn’t Jesus the mediator today? I need to find out about this.

I have asked a pastor on Facebook how Christ leads his congregation today. Is there a group of men that we must listen to? He says no. God’s word says that Christ is our only mediator! I see now. How could I have been so blind?

July 7, 2011: Since I decided that I don't have to listen to what the men say I have been praying more often and singing praises as I go about the house. It is amazing. I am so full of joy. I started reading a translation of the Bible that was not written by Jehovah’s Witnesses. It says that I am God’s child! Everyone who accepts Christ is God’s child, not just the 144,000! The father and Christ are one, Christ is in the Father, and the Father is in Him, and they are in my heart. I understand now! I realize that 1 John 2:23 changes everything. It isn’t important to worship only the Father and not worship Christ. I can pray to Jesus! All Christians should partake of the Lord’s Meal. It has been eating me up inside ever since I went to the Memorial. JWs interpretation with 2 classes of Christians is wrong and I am so angry.

July 9, 2011: My mom and her friends won't leave me alone. I received an email from one of them. This is a paraphrase of what is said: “you do know it's 'the truth' and you surely want life for your children, if not yourself. Don't 'fool' yourself into thinking that you can survive Armageddon if you don't attend our 'training sessions' at the Kingdom Hall for survival. You know, by not doing anything, you are showing Satan and Jehovah how little your relationship with Jehovah and being 'a part' of his organization means to you. That's a scary place to be in, anytime, but, it's suicide,now!!!! We can see that the end is so close and we need to strengthen ourselves to make it through the Great Tribulation. It is a fact that it's not just you and your husband who are going to lose your lives, if you continue in this course, but your precious children, too.

The fact is, I do a lot more of when people aren't scaring me with doom and gloom predictions of the Great Tribulation that Christ died to save me from.

If you don't go to the meetings and participate and be 'a part' of it, then, Satan will move in and influence you, him and the kids too!

Below is a good reminder from one of the meetings.........read it and meditate!

Then the brother said, "It is hard to catch a fish that is full". - Why? Because when they are full, they are not as interested in the bait. Spiritually, if we stay well-fed, prepare, meditate, attend our meetings, and participate in the ministry whole-souled, we will be spiritually full and therefore Satan's enticements will be less alluring.”

Interesting. I have a closer relationship with my heavenly Father right now than I had when I was going to the meetings. I think of two different points about this: I know of people who did all of the above as evidenced by their participation at the meetings and they were enticed by Satan's bait. Let's see I can think of 5 pioneers, one of which was an elder. I don't see personal Bible reading and prayer in this list.

July 19, 2011

I have been so confused and trying to figure all of this out, but since I accepted Jesus as my ONLY mediator, and know that I don't have to listen to the so-called faithful and discreet slave, joy and peace and understanding are opening up to me. I am reading the scriptures and it is not difficult. I believe that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been blocking me from a relationship with Christ and I am starting to think that they are a cult.

All the WT publications and JWs talk about is fear, and then they attack other religions for teaching hell. It is apalling. I am reading some on releasing myself from a cult and how JWs are one to keep myself away from that thinking. Maybe I don't need to. I have Christ now. Hallelujah! He has found His missing sheep!

I must tell you a bit of what I have learned recently. John 17:3. ""This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." I have studied the Bible my whole life. I had verses memorized to answer practically any theological question. But what I needed was to know God. I had to read the Bible with the question in my mind, "what does this tell me about God's personality." For the whole obligation of man is to imitate our heavenly Father. Now I find that the Bible verses I memorized to answer theological questions were quote mined, mistranslated, etc. and I may not now be able to answer every theological question put to me, but that is okay. I know my God. That is what is needed. All else will follow.

Look at John 17:3 again and compare it to John 4:10 and John 7:38, 39. These really help me to see why someone can think that they have accepted Jesus when they really haven’t. Jesus said if you knew to whom you were speaking. We have to know Jesus before we can ask him for Holy Spirit and receive it.

Now as I read the emails threatening me to get me back to JW meetings, I see more things that are wrong. I see her referring to the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses as “the truth”. Didn’t Jesus say “I am the truth”? Going to JW meetings is going to give me life? Didn’t Jesus say “I am the life”? Where else will I go? To Christ! Not an organized religion. Christ said, “Come to me.” “Learn from me.”

Galations 5:4 tells me that legalism causes a fall from grace. That is what the JWs do. They also hide God's love from their followers. 1 John is what I needed to read. I tried to read it in the JW translation and it makes no sense. I think that it is written in a way to keep the meaning hidden. God is telling me that I am His child and that Christ is in my heart. We love because He first loved us. It is beautiful and I never had this before. I feel like my whole life and that of my children have been ruined for want of the love of Christ. And fear! What does 1 John say of fear? There is no fear because we are assured of Christ's love. I can feel Christ's love. I understand unconditional love for the very first time in my life and my family is already so much happier!

Praise God, for He first loved us!

Well friends, this concludes my story of how I came to Jesus. I am continuing to grow and I will be adding scriptures and Watchtower quotes to make my story more beneficial for others.

I'm happy that you feel more comfortable as a Christian than you did previously, but from your previous posts on this board I always felt that you were already a Christian, just perhaps one working through some doubts.

My definition of Christian is someone who has been born again. I was not a Christian until June of 2011.

My definition of Christian is someone who has been born again. I was not a Christian until June of 2011.

I experienced a spiritual experience in which it was manifested to me that Jesus is the Christ. That was a born again experience for me, and happened when I was 14 years old, back in 1965. I was pondering Christ and having agnostic feelings that made me feel empty. I was asking if what was written in the gospels was true. Then I felt a testifying of the Spirit that directed me in the opposite direction and towards faith.